0-1 in the series, one Test match to go, India’s last chance to make something
out of a series that at least had yielded Sandeep Patil as a major find.
India’s batting heroes Gavaskar and Vishwanath had been in indifferent form,
and in much the same vein, India were 22 for 2 when Vishwanath walked out to
bat within the first hour of the match. Soon it was 43 for 3, 99 for 5, 115 for
6.

But
India’s most aesthetic batsman had also proved in the past that could also be
the most substantial – and his thrilling exhibition of square cuts, flicks,
drives and nudges, all cajoled by eminently insurable wrists, put runs on the
board and the colour back on Indian cheeks. Supported first by Patil, then by
Kirmani and Shivlal Yadav, Vishawanath was ninth out at 230 for almost half
those runs. India’s total was surpassed easily by Australia, and India fought
hard in the second innings with Gavaskar finding form in the second innings.

When
he was wrongly given out at 70, “temporary insanity” (his own words) led
Gavaskar to stage a walk-out in the match (he famously physically pushed
opening partner Chauhan to walk out with him, till the cooler head of manager
SK Durrani prevailed. Test cricket history owes him – as the match gradually
became a classic. India fought on to make 324 (Vishwanath made 30 of those) and
left Australia a seemingly trivial 143 to make.

But
the pitch, which had been showing signs of breaking, came into the fore
dramatically, as Australia were reduced to 24 for 3 by close (Greg Chappell’s
dismissal a loud alarm bell that just wouldn’t go off). Kapil Dev, who had been
injured in the course of the match, came back on the last day despite not being
fully fit, bowled non-stop, and took 5 for 28 to give India a famous win. It
was India’s first-ever drawn series in Australia.